WORK on the Saltash tunnel will start in October 2002 and finish in March 2003 – and will cost between five and ten million pounds, a meeting learned last week.

Only 20 people attended the meeting, chaired by deputy mayor Joyce Mepsted, at Saltash Guildhall.

Around 50% of the cost is for civil or structural improvements, including improving the drainage and providing more manholes to improve the maintenance.

The carriageway through the tunnel will be resurfaced and the whole of the inside of the tunnel will be protected by steel panels.

These will obscure the existing and cracked concrete lining and provide a light reflective surface.

The remaining 50% of the proposed works will include the relocation of existing jet fans. Tunnel lighting will be completely replaced and will allow bulbs to be replaced without tunnel closure as at present.

A CCTV based, automatic smoke and incident detection system will alert the tunnel operators to any problem and new lane control signs will be introduced in the tunnel.

Lynton Cocks, project manager of the Highways Agency, said the main objectives were to improve the appearance of the tunnel, upgrade the control systems, increase the safety potential, reduce future maintenance and add to public confidence.

During question time, Mr Cocks assured the meeting that the tunnel had been inspected by an international firm of engineers and there was nothing wrong with the structural integrity of the tunnel.

Steve Ewing of Cornwall county council said that traffic will be encouraged to use one lane of the tunnel at peak times. Around 800 vehicles a day will be diverted along North Road, with the slip road at South Pill roundabout at the western end of the tunnel becoming a two way system at times.

At Burraton Cross, two mini roundabouts will replace the present traffic lights and Callington bound traffic will head towards Carkeel. West bound traffic will be directed along Liskeard Road towards a modified Latchbrook/A38 junction.

North Road is expected to have a quieter road surface laid, but residents raised the problem of speed in the road. Mike Mallett, a local school teacher, said he was very concerned about the speed of the traffic. There have been accidents with schoolchildren and many of them used the crossings each day in North Road. There had also been near misses with other pedestrians crossing and cars had often not stopped at the crossings. He added that there should be some sort of speed control on the road.

Police inspector Kevin Taylor said that they were watching the situation and also looking at people's safety and to reduce traffic accidents. The speed of 30mph on the bridge and North Road is likely to be imposed in the tunnel.